Book picks similar to
The Truth Is Out There: Madeleine by Peter Scharrenberg
true-crime
non-fiction
missing-persons
Casket Chronicles: Living and Working in a Funeral Home is not What You Might Think
T.A. Walters - 2020
Some of the stories are hilarious. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. All of the stories are true.Most people think of the funeral business as being very subdued where words are spoken in hushed tones and those who work in it are best described as “somber.” Like almost everything else in life, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.How could the station wagon used to pick up bodies just vanish? What did the waitress at the drive-in really think was in the back of the car? Why did the woman driving a Cadillac stop in the middle of the busy street in front of the funeral home and start screaming obscenities? How did a woman’s panties end up inside a casket?The answers to these questions and other interesting tales are found on the pages of Casket Chronicles.
Amerzonia: A Savage Journey Through The Americas, From Los Angeles To The Amazon (Gonzo Travel Books, #3)
Mark Walters - 2019
It’s a savage journey that takes Mark from Los Angeles to the Amazon — through Mexico and Guatemala and Honduras, through Nicaragua and Costa Rica and Panama, through Colombia and Ecuador and Peru. On his ride into the dark south of the Americas: a failed revolution, a spewing volcano, a drawer of cocaine; and a surreal succession of encounters with an assortment of characters normally avoided — Scientologists and shamans and narcos. He risks his freedom, his sanity, his life. By the end, he at last finds a point to it all: he goes far to find…
BOMB DOORS OPEN: From East End boy to Lancaster Bomber Pilot with 617 'Dambuster' Squadron
Ken Trent - 2016
From near fatal accidents during training in Canada, to dodging flak and fighters over Germany, not to mention trying to land with a ten ton 'Grand Slam' on board, his motto in life has been 'Just Do It'. Born in the East End of London, he left school as the Battle of Britain raged overhead. Determined to 'do his bit', he signed up for service in the RAF. Volunteering for special duties after completing his first tour, he became a member of the famous 617 'Dambusters' Squadron, flying to attack precision targets such as viaducts, submarine bases, and even Hitler's hideout at Berchtesgaden. When the War ended he tried to forget about his experiences, and told no-one of what he had been through; until fifty years later, when an unexpected phone call led to him taking the controls of a Lancaster bomber once more. He is one of the last of an extraordinary generation, one who flew through the unfriendly darkness of German skies, was hunted by fighters and shot up by flak, but pressed ahead with his duty knowing that his chances of survival dwindled every time he took off. His modesty and unfailing sense of humour are an inspiration. Just Do It. Ken is very kindly donating all of his royalties from the sale of this book to The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund & Holidays for Heroes Jersey.
You are my sunshine
Anna Gray - 2017
The book details her interactions with the medical staff and the progression of her condition; tests and more tests, appointments with different consultants and doctors and ultimately time spent in hospital. However, alongside all the medical issues is the story of the love and support of her children, family and friends which makes this book so special. You are my sunshine will make you laugh and cry, it will move you and inspire you to be your best and to be there for others. 'My advice to each and everyone is not to leave it till it's too late, treasure your friends and family, don't leave it to tell people that you love them, make time for people who you care about; I guarantee that your life will be enriched and happier if you do. People can surprise you in all manner of fantastic ways!'
Sensational Scenes for Teens: The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors!
Chambers Stevens - 2001
Chambers introduces young actors to the challenges of performing scenes written in true industry-standard style in preparation for professional stage and screen auditions. +30 teen-friendly scenes are incorporated. An interview with the commercial casting agents of Felicity and the Practice gives kids/teens the one-up on current industry requirements for young actors. A glossary of industry terms, index and extensive bibliography of basic to challenging plays teens should read are also included as a study aid. The scenes in the book are all original, and focus on teen lifestyle and experiences.
Jumping The Curb: One Family's Journey Through a Castastrophic Injury
Gail Desberg - 2018
After a life altering accident Alex and his wife Gail are forced to discover what the people around them are really made of. Their young family is thrown into an alien world of medical emergencies, insurance nightmares, life-and-death decisions, and family politics. Gail has to put her own needs aside in order to take care of their small children, support her quadriplegic husband, and try to create an awareness of the dangers that lie beyond the water's edge. These sacrifices come at a cost that only gradually reveals itself.
Finding My Feet CLAIRE LOMAS
Claire Lomas - 2014
I was being brave, although inside I felt very scared; absolutely petrified. My body felt battered, well the bits I could feel did. The rest felt dead. Two thirds of me was dead." This is the incredible battle to rebuild a life that was shattered in a split second. When Claire was 27 she suffered a devastating spinal injury in a freak accident whilst eventing. In April 2012 Claire made worldwide headlines when she walked the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit taking 17 days. 'FINDING MY FEET' is the moving true story of how one determined, courageous young woman had to fight through the darkest days to go on and have the best days of her life. Claire has already raised over £300,000 to help find a cure for paralysis, and this book will help provide more vital funds for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. "Claire is a distillation of all that we should find motivational- intensely driven, positive and an achiever despite the horrendous times which she has had to endure" Sir Matthew Pinsent "Claire has to be the most incredible person I have ever met. She simply lights up a room. To think of the difficulties she has had to overcome is mind blowing. She is an absolute inspiration to us all" Melanie C "Claire is a force of nature. Give her a challenge that seems impossible and she will smash it to bits. She knows no limits, sets no boundaries and never takes 'no' for an answer. Unless you ask her 'have you finished?' In which case, 'no' is the answer because she is never finished." Clare Balding
A Gallery of KNOTS!: A Beginner's How-to Guide (Tiger Road Crafts Book 10)
Tara Cousins - 2014
From traditional sailor’s knots to the trendy friendship bracelets of the 90’s to the modern craze of paracord crafts, knot tying is a fun and valuable skill. Guys, gals and even young kids can learn the principles of knot tying to create a huge variety of projects. This ebook will teach you a selection of the most widely used, best loved knots and a variety of accompanying projects. The step-by-step photo instructions make it easy to learn, even for the beginner!
1000 Shocking Facts You Might Not Have Known
John Brown - 2015
The facts range from strange historical events to breakthrough scientific discoveries. The book is also a continuation of my previous works, 1000 Things You Might Not Have Known and 1000 More Things You Might Now Have Known. 1000 Shocking Facts You Might Not Have Known is packed with interesting, entertaining, educational and fun things to read. You'll get everything from the weird to the wonderful and from the horrible to the hilarious. Facts such as: Starbucks spends more money on health insurance for its employees than on coffee beans. Walt Disney lost the ability to speak and used pen and paper to communicate before passing away. The last words he wrote on pen and paper was the famous actor "Kurt Russell".
I Promised My Mother
Ludvik Wieder - 1984
And with G-d's help, he saved not only himself but also his parents and a host of friends, relatives, and strangers from almost certain death. If Ludvik Wieder's adventures were fiction, they would seem too contrived. But everything told is the unembellished truth. At the age of 26, Ludvik had it all—health, wealth, good looks, popularity, and a growing business in one of Europe's brightest capitals. Then, one dreadful Sunday in the spring of 1943, the Nazis marched into Budapest and imposed a series of repressive measures that threatened the life of every Jew in Hungary. From that day on, all that mattered was survival. Suddenly, life hung by a shred of paper— the proper “Aryan” identification. Determined to survive, Ludvik boldly entered the black market to buy those precious scraps of false identity that might save him and his loved ones from disaster. Soon he was living a double life, outwardly forsaking his Orthodox Jewish upbringing to pose as a gentile, at the same time clinging steadfastly to his beliefs, never for a moment forgetting who he was and where he came from. Soon he became a master of deception— whether it was posing as a trusted “gentile” factory employee, disguising himself as a drunken peasant, or assuming the dress and manner of a member of the Hungarian S.S. Somehow, he had the capacity to enlist the aid of an unlikely assortment of non-Jews, who helped him at the peril of their lives—among them, a peasant woman who befriended him in prison and offered her home as his haven for the duration of the war… a Hungarian Air Force officer, who “adopted” Ludvik's niece as his own illegitimate child, lent him his apartment as a hiding place and smuggled a series of vital ID papers to him… the Skid Row derelict who saved the life of Ludvik's nephew by pretending to be the boy's uncle. The book traces Ludvik's life, beginning with his placid, essentially easygoing boyhood in Czechoslovakia. Then, in 1940, after the Hungarian takeover, he was inducted into forced labor. It describes the cruelty and black humor of the labor camp, which helped him to develop the cunning and ingenuity that enabled him to sharpen his survival skills and avoid being sent to fatal service on the Russian front. The story then focuses on the Nazi occupation, culminating in Ludvik's near-execution at the hands of his Russian liberators. Armed with optimism, unswerving faith in the Almighty, and his own resourcefulness, Ludvik never let fear keep him from doing whatever was necessary to save himself and his fellow Jews. Throughout his heart-stopping adventures —and even in the darkest moments of despair, when events propelled him to the brink of suicide—Ludvik was motivated to go on by consummate devotion to his beloved mother. He knew he had to survive, for he had promised her he would.
We Always Had Paris
Templeton Peck - 2020
She was a New Yorker, had just turned forty, and was about to put her youngest child in college. He was pushing 50 and relishing a sabbatical from his San Francisico law practice. Opposites attracted. A few weeks later they were engaged. A year later they were honeymooning on bicycles in Burgundy, after a wedding in a chapel at JFK. And after five years in San Francisco, they sold their house, quit their jobs and moved to Paris -- “permanently,” they said. For seven years their home was in a foreign country, in a foreign culture, bathed in a foreign language, on the rue des Marronniers in the 16th Arrondissement of the most beautiful city in the world. We Always Had Paris is the story of their adventure. It really happened. It is also a love story.
Murder in the Mountains: The Muriel Baldridge Story
Michael Crisp - 2011
After a decades-long investigation that featured an amazing array of twists and turns, including a sensational trial and a controversial verdict, the case remains unsolved. To this day Muriel's murder is considered "the most bizarre and confusing case in the annuals of Eastern Kentucky crime."
Gosnell's Babies: Inside the Mind of America's Most Notorious Abortion Doctor
Steve Volk - 2013
That distinction belongs to Gosnell's Babies." — Alexander Nazaryan, The Atlantic Wire"Very well written ... A must-read for anybody who followed this case." — Jake Tapper, CNNIn this chilling tale set against the backdrop of one of the most controversial issues of our times, award-winning journalist Steve Volk tells the decades-long saga of Kermit Gosnell — the abortion doctor whose clinic in a poor section of Philadelphia was revealed to be a house of horrors.Volk — the only journalist to speak to Gosnell since his conviction and imprisonment — brings the eccentric doctor to life, detailing his past in the early days of the abortion-rights movement and getting him to reveal, for the first time ever, why he did what he did. Was Gosnell a monster, or something else?Volk's powerful storytelling gives us a definitive understanding of a complex character, a horrific case, and a divisive issue.
The Pottery Cottage Murders: The terrifying true story of an escaped prisoner and the family he held hostage
Carol Ann Lee - 2020
A family of five held hostage in their home. A frantic police manhunt across the snowbound Derbyshire moors. Just one survivor. The definitive account of the terrifying 1977 Pottery Cottage murders that shocked Britain. For three days, escaped prisoner Billy Hughes played macabre psychological games with Gill Moran and her family, keeping them in separate rooms of their home while secretly murdering them one by one. On several occasions Hughes ordered Gill and her husband, Richard, to leave the house for provisions, confident that they would return without betraying him in order to protect their loved ones. Blizzards hampered the desperate police search, but they learned where the dangerous convict was hiding and closed in on the cottage. A high-speed car chase on icy roads ended with a crash and the killer being shot as he swung a newly sharpened axe at his final victim. This was Britain's first instance of police officers committing 'justifiable homicide' against an escapee. The story of these terrible events is told here by Carol Ann Lee and Peter Howse, the former Chief Inspector who saved Gill Moran's life more than 40 years ago. Peter's professional role has permitted access to witness statements, crime-scene photographs and police reports. Peter Howse and Carol Ann Lee have made use of these, along with fresh interviews with many of those directly involved, to tell a fast-paced and truly shocking story with great insight and empathy.